A washing machine is a domestic appliance for cleaning clothes, linens, and other laundry. A washing machine may include a tub and a drum that is positioned in the tub and is sized to receive laundry for cleaning. The washing machine may include an electric motor that causes the drum to rotate relative to the tub during a washing operation. In some washing machines, the electric motor may be connected to the drum via a transmission system including, for example, cables and pulleys. The electric motor may also be connected to the drum via a drive shaft. Washing machines including the latter type of electric motor are often referred to as “direct drive” washing machines.
Electric motors typically include a stator and a rotor configured to rotate relative to the stator. The stator may be fixed to the tub of the washing machine and may include a plurality of coils. The rotor may include one or more permanent magnets that interact with a magnetic field produced by one or more of the plurality of coils. During operation, the plurality of coils may be sequentially energized with electricity to cause the rotor to rotate. In a direct drive washing machine, the rotor may be torsionally secured to the drive shaft so that drive force may be transferred to the drum via the drive shaft.